Balkans Face Multiple Water Crises Amid Drought and Infrastructure Failures
Severe drought and high temperatures have driven the Mura and Drava rivers in Slovenia to near‑record low levels, prompting a temporary ban on fishing and a sharp drop in hydro‑electric output, with production estimated at about half of normal in July. Downstream, water levels at the Osijek gauge in Croatia have fallen to nearly minus two metres.
In Montenegro, authorities report that water from the Orahovac source now has reduced salinity but remains unsuitable for drinking, limiting supply to technical uses between Tabačina and Risna. The municipal water company continues to deliver treated water to hospitals and vulnerable residents while working to repair a major pipe rupture.
In the Republika Srpska region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, aging and damaged water‑distribution infrastructure has caused the loss of roughly 46 % of treated water in 2024—about 50.7 million cubic metres, an increase of over eight million cubic metres from the previous year. The shortage has led to an emergency “two days on, two days off” water‑reduction regime in the Banja Luka area.
Entities: Drava River · Mura River · Murisa Marić · Vojislav Vujanović · Đura Marković
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Mura and Drava rivers in Slovenia have reached near‑record low water levels. (article 1)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] An emergency water‑reduction regime of two days on, two days off has been imposed in the Banja Luka area. (article 3)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hydro‑electric production in Slovenia is estimated at about half of normal output for July. (article 1)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Technical water is the only supply allowed between Tabačina and Risna in Montenegro. (article 2)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Republika Srpska, 46.2 % of treated water was lost in 2024 due to aging infrastructure. (article 3)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Fishing has been temporarily banned on sections of the Mura and Drava rivers due to low water and algae growth. (article 1)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Water level at the Osijek gauge in Croatia has fallen to nearly minus two metres. (article 1)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Water from the Orahovac source in Montenegro has lower salinity but is still unsuitable for drinking. (article 2)